By the numbers: a data bank on education trends for district leaders.

Public Funding

              Central        Regional         Local

CANADA          5               62              73
FRANCE         73               11              16
GERMANY         5               77              18
ITALY          79                4              17
JAPAN          24               57              19
U.K.           21                0
U.S.            7               50              43

Per Student Expenditures

Total expenditures in public and private schools, in U.S. dollars, 1998

France        $3,752
Germany       $3,531
Italy         $5,653
Japan         $5,075
U.K.          $3,329
U.S.          $6,043

STUDENT/TEACHER RATIOS

CANADA

Primary                   19:1
Secondary                 19:1

FRANCE

Primary                   20:1
Secondary                 13:1

GERMANY

Primary                   21:1
Secondary                 15:1

ITALY

Primary                   11:1
Secondary                 10:1

JAPAN

Primary                   21:1
Secondary                 15:1

RUSSIAN FEDERATION

Primary                   18:1
Secondary                 15:1

UNITED KINGDOM

Primary                   23:1
Secondary                 15:1

UNITED STATES

Primary                   16:1
Secondary                 16:1

Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Education Indicators:
An International Perspective, 2003, nces.ed.gov

PRE-K Percentage of children
ages 3 to 5 enrolled in
pre-primary education

Canada                44%
France               100
Germany               72
Italy                 98
Japan                 83
United Kingdom        49
United States         64

Behavior Problems

Percentage of eighth-grade students
whose principals report that behavior
threatening a safe and orderly
environment is a serious problem

CLASSROOM DISTURBANCE

Canada                   21%
Italy                    32
Japan                    23
Russian Federation        4
United States            11

VANDALISM

Canada                    6%
Italy                    18
Japan                    23
Russian Federation        3
United States             1

THEFT

Canada                    6%
Italy                    16
Japan                    25
Russian Federation        6
United States             2

PHYSICAL INJURY TO
OTHER STUDENTS

Canada                    4%
Italy                    18
Japan                    22
Russian Federation        4
United States             3

GRADUATION RATES

France                   85%
Germany                  92
Italy                    73
Japan                    95
United States            78